Raymond van Barneveld produced a classy display to send Phil The Power Taylor packing on the opening night of Premier League Darts on Thursday. With reigning champion Gary Anderson having withdrawn from his opener due to illness, four-time world champion Van Barneveld stepped up to thrash Taylor 7-2 in Leeds to kick-start the new campaign.The mighty Dutchman had perfectly nailed his first six attempts at a double and a seventh success would have set a Premier League record, but he crucially erred in the final leg. Taylor could not take advantage, and Van Barneveld returned at his next visit to finish the job. Barney hit a 10-darter to break Taylor and go 2-1 up and never looked back. A 113 checkout from Taylor was his best moment, but he had no answer for Van Barnevelds relentless accuracy on his doubles. Michael van Gerwen hit the best checkout of the night - but it wasnt enough against James Wade Premier League players Which darts player is most like a football team? James Wade came back from losing the first three sets to hand world No 1 Michael van Gerwen a 7-4 defeat in a collision of two former Premier League champions.Van Gerwen, the 2013 winner, appeared set to begin his quest for another title successfully when he matched two holds of throw with a stunning 167 checkout - hitting 60, 57, bullseye to break Wades throw and go 3-0 up.Wade edged his way back into the match but exploded with a 118 finish to make it 3-3, then won a further two legs as a shell-shocked Van Gerwen came to terms with his vanished advantage.But Wade was in imperious form and won a sixth leg with a 121 finish, then hit bullseye to condemn the best player in the world to defeat. Peter Wright got off to a colourful start against Michael Smith Studds PL moments Rod Studd remembers the tournaments best bits Peter Wright easily swept past Premier League debutant Michael Smith in the nights first match.Snakebite entered the 2016 tournament with a bizarre record of having won just three of his last 19 Premier League matches but looked well on course to amend that statistic with three unanswered legs. Smith was able to get on the scoreboard in his inaugural appearance at this event but never threatened Wright who eventually won 7-2. Adrian Lewis had to settle for a 120 after his third dart got caught between his other treble 20s Smiths baptism of fire continued as he was crushed 7-1 in the final game by Adrian Lewis after drawing the short straw to cover for Andersons last-minute withdrawl.Smith hadnt visibly recovered from his first defeat to Wright and Lewis seized his chance, winning six straight legs after his young opponent had initially made it 1-1.Dave Chisnall recorded just the sixth whitewash in the history of the Premier League against an outmatched Robert Thornton.The Scotsman was making his return to the competition after a years hiatus but found the standard too high from Chisnall, who ripped through their match at breakneck speed without conceding a leg. Dont miss Premier League Darts live from Newcastle next Thursday night, with coverage underway from 7pm on Sky Sports 1 HD, or watch for £6.99 without a contract, on NOW TV Also See: Fixtures/Results On Sky TV Prem Table Darts betting Get Sky Sports Swell Water Bottle Cheap . LOUIS -- Theres no telling how these wacky World Series games will end. sWell Traveler Bottle Sale . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. http://www.swellwaterbottlesale.com/ . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Swell Water Bottle Wood Collection . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. Swell Bottles Sale . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Thursday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- LONDON -- Six-time champion Serena Williams makes the Wimbledon final by routing Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-0. Sister Venus Williams, however, cant get there, losing her semifinal to Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-4.- World Cup champion Germany and host France play in the semifinals of the European Championship, with the winner to face Portugal for the title on Sunday. Game starts 3 p.m.- OAKLAND, Calif. -- Kevin Durant formally joins the Golden State Warriors, ready to help Stephen Curry & Co. return to the NBA Finals and win the title after squandering a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers.- MIAMI -- Dwyane Wade, in a guest host appearance on Live With Kelly, says his decision to leave the Miami Heat and return to his Chicago hometown still feels surreal.- EUGENE, Ore. -- Justin Gatlin, widely considered the top challenger to Usain Bolt, begins his bid to add the 200 meters to his Olympic schedule in a preliminary round at the U.S. track and field trials.- SAN JOSE -- Martha Karolyi has her five-woman U.S. womens Olympic gymnastics team already in mind heading into this weekends Olympic trials.- AMSTERDAM -- Track and field chief Sebastian Coe says whistleblower Yulia Stepanova has set an example for athletes. More than a year ago, she helped expose the Russian doping scandal.- RIO DE JANEIRO -- A human rights group says a pattern of covering up police killings has thwarted efforts to curb violence in Rio de Janeiros slums leading to the Olympics.dddddddddddd- SAN MARTIN, Calif. -- The two best women golfers in the world will be part of the same group when Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson highlight the opening round of the U.S. Womens Open.- With the baseball season at a halfway point, Ian Desmond, Daniel Murphy and Johnny Cueto are among the acquisitions to have paid immediate dividends for their new teams.- NEW YORK -- The first-place Washington Nationals begin a four-game series against a New York Mets team that has won six of seven and is four games back in the NL East. Game starts 7:10 p.m.- MONTAUBAN, France -- British sprinter Mark Cavendish easily wins the sixth stage of the Tour de France. Belgiums Greg van Avermaet keeps the yellow jersey a day before the race enters the Pyrenees.- ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Notre Dame and Michigan agree to resume their football rivalry, the AP is told. The Fighting Irish will host the Wolverines in 2018, with the series shifting to Michigan Stadium in 2019.- LAS VEGAS -- Jon Jones addresses the apparent doping violation that has thrown his UFC career into turmoil again. The longtime light heavyweight champion has been removed from the main event of UFC 200.- SPARTA, Ky. -- The Kentucky Speedway has new pavement for Saturday nights Sprint Cup race. Drivers seem to like the fact that this will be a less bumpy ride than before. ' ' '